Read Online A Dark Night (Book One of The Grandor Descendant series) by Bell Stoires - Free Book Online Page A

to the floor. Ari’s hands made to touch the roughly made bandage on her wrist, when suddenly she realised that she was still only wearing a bra and underwear. Instantly her knees were drawn up to her chest as she tried to cover herself.
    “You needn’t be embarrassed,” said Ragon.
    “I’m practically naked,” Ari exaggerated, “and you’re… you’re fully clothed,” she stammered.
    “I could remove more if you would prefer,” he said, but there was no trace of a smile.
    At the mention of his lack of clothing, Ari looked across at his body; where before there had been huge gashes and holes in his burnt skin, now it was once again flawless, though the intense white of the bathroom tiles gave him an almost greyish pallor. Unable to stop herself, Ari’s eyes locked onto his toned muscles, as images of him rescuing her popped into her head. No, she thought, she shouldn’t think like that; it wasn’t right.
    “I thought you were dead,” she whispered, shaking her head slowly.
    “I am,” Ragon replied quickly, a small smile tracing his lips.
    “No I mean, I thought you were gone; you had no heart beat and no pulse.”
    “You should be so l ucky. How is your arm?” he said, clearly wanting to change the subject. “I’m so sorry. It was the sun; it drained me... I would never have attacked you otherwise, although I know that doesn’t change the fact that I did.”
    Ari laughed a little before looking down at the rough bandage on her wrist. Torn flesh was just visible, as were purpling bruises that braceleted her wrists.
    “Actually, it doesn’t really hurt anymore,” she lied.
    “It’s the venom; it takes away the pain… temporarily anyway. That way our prey can’t err… escape.”
    “Convenient. So when you bite someone they don’t feel it?”
    The moment she spoke a vivid flashback of him attacking her popped into her head just as an uncontrollable shiver ran down her spine. At the same time she wondered why, if vampire toxin was supposed to take away pain, did it still hurt her so much?
    “Yes. We bite a mortal and they lose their flight and fight response, among other things,” Ragon replied.
    “Other things; like what?”
    Ragon looked decidedly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going, but then glancing down at her bandaged wrist , said, “The venom also allows us to control our victims… for a time.”
    At these words Ari thought of Paige; the girl who had sacrificed herself so that Matthew could regain his strength. Was this happening to her now? Was that why she had saved Ragon? But then she rememb ered she had dragged him inside well before he had bitten her. But why had she saved him? The fact that she could be controlled by a vampire would have explained perfectly why she had tried to help him. Ari shook her head in confusion.
    “You can control me?” she said weakly, her mind reeling with the implications.
    “No I can’t! Well I could… but I wouldn’t. I bit you out of instinct; I had lost too much blood and I couldn’t help myself, but controlling you is my choice and I wouldn’t do that to you.”
    “B ut if you could control me, you could make me forget you ever attacked me?” she said slowly, instantly regretting her words “You could make me forget all of this, and… and you said to Kiara that you were planning on… planning on doing that anyway.” 
    “It was tempting, but I won’t take away your free will; I will have to live with what I have done… we both will. Besides, I told Kiara that so she wouldn’t think that-”
    But his words broke off; wouldn’t think what, Ari thought.
    “What do you mean?” she asked nervously.
    Ragon looked upset for a moment, but recovering quickly, said, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
    Ari looked down. She was so confused and too scared to think properly. Everything that Ragon was telling her made sense and yet it was utterly unbelievable. The fact that vampires were real was one thing, but the thought